Barbara Madsen, chief justice of the Washington State Supreme Court, will speak about the crisis of sex and labor trafficking at the 2012 Northwest Human Trafficking Summit Oct. 13 at the Westin hotel in Seattle. State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Wells and former State Rep. Velma Veloria are among other notable Washingtonians who will discuss the policies and laws addressing the human trafficking crisis.

Laurel G. Bellows, president of the American Bar Association, and Chief Justice Madsen will co-chair the summit, and will deliver the keynote remarks at 10:15 a.m. on Oct. 13.

The summit is being co-convened by the ABA Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division, the Washington state Gender and Justice Commission and the Washington state Minority & Justice Commission, and sponsored by Microsoft Corp., Group Health and Seattle University School of Law. The meeting will include training for legal professionals and service providers on laws regarding trafficking of people; a legal education class on representing unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings; and instruction on understanding cultural sensitivities and working with victims of violence.

The event will conclude with panel discussions that will outline solutions and strategies to address domestic child prostitution, global sex and labor trafficking, and the unmet needs of human trafficking victims.

Conference highlights include:

“Kids in Need of Defense Training” — This session will explore the legal representation of unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings, with an emphasis on visas for human trafficking victims, child victims of crime, abused and abandoned children, and deferred action for childhood arrivals. Speakers include Juliann Bildhauer of Volunteer Advocates for Immigrant Justice; Christina Fiflis, chair of the ABA Commission on Immigration; and Riya Kuo, lawyer for Microsoft Corp.8 – 10 a.m.

“Cultural Sensitivity and Working with Victims of Violence Training” — Panelists will discuss the effects of surviving violence and will address how to be sensitive to those effects, consider cultural differences, and communicate effectively when interviewing survivors.

Panelists include Gillian Dutton, associate professor of lawyering skills at Seattle University School of Law, and Kathleen Morris, Washington Anti-Trafficking Response Network of Seattle’s International Rescue Committee.11 a.m. – noon

“Background on Current Policy Development and Implementation” — Former Washington state Rep. Velma Veloria and Washington state Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Wells will speak about the state’s historic role in combating human trafficking and developing laws to criminalize it.Noon – 12:30 p.m.

There is no charge for media covering this event. For media credentials and more information, please contact Maria Gutierrez at 202-662-1091, Maria.Gutierrez@americanbar.org.